The frustrating thing is we are judging the form of our players from how they have performed in a system that doesn’t bring the best out of them. MM was average at best last year so you would say, on the face of that, let him go and free up cap space etc.
He has however looked a totally different player in the systems employed by Ireland at the World Cup, proving asking questions and showing some craft at 9, exactly the type of 9 we need.
Tommy again went from being a really controlling 7, providing a great foul for Johnson at NZ Warriors to a headless chicken offering very little direction and leadership.
You don’t become a poor/good player overnight. I think it is clear the system we have employed has let a lot of the players down also to the extent we have so few representing England.
We are being told the systems are likely to change and we may see the best of this team and individuals because of that, if we do MM suddenly becomes a big miss.
